Meet the Eco Relics Fabrications Crew

As it turns out, most of our fabricators would probably consider themselves both artists and craftspeople. Outside of work they paint, draw, and sculpt. They bring that creativity with them to work, where they craft functional objects from the salvage that we acquire.

What is the difference between an artist and a craftsperson? That is the question I contemplated when I started thinking about the Fabrications Crew here at the Eco Relics architectural salvage warehouse. As it turns out, most of our fabricators would probably consider themselves both artists and craftspeople. Outside of work they paint, draw, and sculpt. They bring that creativity with them to work, where they craft functional objects from the salvage that we acquire. I put the question to our fabricators in the following interviews, as well as a few others, in the hopes that we all might share a little insight into the mind of an artist. Or craftsperson.

Karaeris

Where are you from? I’m from St. Augustine. I owned a clothing boutique and organic food market in the historic district called Corner Market. It had the same name in the 1920s, so we kept it.

How long have you lived in Jacksonville? Only 3 or 4 months! St. Augustine is small and cliquey, but Jacksonville is big and spread out. It can be hard to find out what is going on in Jacksonville, but in St. Augustine it is all in your face.

What have you bought from Eco Relics? Beadboard, pine and red cherry wood, antique doors and shutters, fabric, and other building materials.

Why did you want to work at Eco Relics? The creative aspect really appealed to me. There is an unlimited supply of things to make, you just go out on the floor and pick it out. I also get to meet creative people working on projects of their own and get inspired by that. Recycling and reusing things that would otherwise be thrown away is also an appealing aspect of this job.

Where did you learn fabrication skills? My family has a construction and renovation company, so I have always been around builders. I studied civil engineering at UCF and worked for the state doing road and highway design for about 6 years. I still do drafting on the side, but mostly just for fun.

Can you remember the first thing you ever built? When I was 9 or 10 years old I built a wooden-frame go-kart from scratch with my granddad. He was an industrial engineer who also practiced carpentry, masonry, metal working, you name it. I usually spent summers in St. Augustine building things with my granddad.

What are your favorite materials to work with? Electrical conduit. Doors and shutters. I like to cut down doors and shutters into different pieces to use as components.

When was the last time you got frustrated with a project? Yesterday! It was a metal-frame chair made with leather straps. The leather was all deteriorated and unusable, so I started replacing it with wood. Leather is soft and it gives, but wood…not so much. I’m taking a break from that project for a while.

What is the last project you were really happy with? The sewing machine tables I built. I salvaged the bottom parts of two broken antique sewing machine tables. The tops were made from pieces cut from doors to which I added some beveled glass. The big one took a couple of weeks to sell, but the small one sold in one day!

Do you have any advice for beginning fabricators? Start small. Don’t get frustrated. Have patience. Wherever your mind can take you, go with it.

What is the difference between an artist and a craftsperson? I also paint, oil on canvas. I think artistic creativity relates directly to craft. The artist in me can see things in my mind, and the craftsman can make it into reality. Creativity combines art and craft.

Nico

Where are you from? Detroit, MI.

How long have you lived in Jacksonville? A little over a year now.

What have you bought from Eco Relics? Tools. Mostly little hand tools. A tool box. Different pieces of lumber here and there.

Why did you want to work at Eco Relics? A friend took me here about a month after it opened. It seemed like a cool place to work. I applied and that was it.

Where did you learn fabrication skills? Before working at Eco Relics I welded for three or four years, off and on. I went to welding school up in Detroit. Otherwise, I am mostly self-taught.

Can you remember the first thing you ever built? I really only started building about a year ago. The first thing I made was a coffee table. I have been painting and drawing for a long time. I have always been interested in art ever since I was a kid. Instead of paying attention in class, I was always drawing on my paper.

What are your favorite materials to work with? I like to combine wood and steel for a rustic and industrial look. I use steel and wood together whenever I can.

When was the last time you got frustrated with a project? A week ago. I didn’t get too bent out of shape, though. It was a monkey wrench table. The legs don’t sit right. They’re loose, it’s just the way they are made. I haven’t given up on it yet.

What was the last project you were really happy with? A little side table I made at home with some lumber from Eco Relics. The legs are something I found on the curb. I’m always on the lookout, especially on garbage day. I like to take old, beat-up furniture and turn it into something else as opposed to building from scratch.

Do you have any advice for beginning fabricators? Trial and error is the best method. Don’t be afraid to mess up when trying something new. The more things you try to do in different ways, the more you will learn, especially if you don’t have a teacher.

What is the difference between an artist and a craftsperson? Hmmmm. That’s a tough question. I don’t think there is a difference, really. One can be the other. I think they are interchangable.

Ross

Where are you from? Originally Montana, then the Pacific Northwest, then Vermont, now here. But Vermont doesn’t really count. I wasn’t there long.

How long have you lived in Jacksonville? Fourteen years.

What have you bought at Eco Relics? Industrial furniture, some antique hand tools, dated hardware. Old stuff, nothing new.

Why did you want to work at Eco Relics? Well, I’ve been buying and rehabbing furniture and home décor for about 12-13 years. I’m an artist. I’ve been making and selling artwork for a long time. Eco Relics seemed like a good resource. Get it when it comes off the truck.

Where did you learn fabrication skills? I’ve been doing it my whole life. I was raised on a cattle ranch in Montana and we made all out own stuff. I was a handyman when I moved here so I learned to build all kinds of things on the job. I made brackets to nail something in place and stuff like that.

Can you remember the first thing you ever built? My brother and I built a 2-level tree fort up in the willow trees in Montana when I was six. It was a tree FORT, not a tree house. We had dirt clod battles.

What are your favorite materials to work with? I like to work with old wooden furniture, paint, and various kinds of finishes. Whatever I can get my hands on.

When was the last time you got frustrated with a project? This morning, getting wood selected and cut, trying to find the right parts and pieces. I wouldn’t call it frustrated. It’s all part of the game. You hit a brick wall and you find a way around it. Frustration doesn’t last long. Patience.

What was the last project you were really happy with? The last one I did, a three-piece shelving and table set. It started as big drawers from a built-in kitchen, but we couldn’t take the cabinets. I flipped them upside down, wrapped in old beadboard from the 1940s, added legs. I wanted more red so I incorporated a plant stand and found an old pot with geraniums in it.

Do you have any advice for beginning fabricators? Safety first, at all times. Learn how to use a tool first before diving in, whether it is a table saw or a drill. Make something for practice first and don’t be afraid to fail. You can always paint over it.

What is the difference between an artist and a craftsperson? I dunno, subject matter? Let me think on this…I think they are on the same line, words that can mean the same thing. You make form and function work, it’s a blurry line.

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